The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-09-04
RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS.

the parading of streets by girls, has ex
cited considerable comment. 1t wa
written for that purpose, but there i
reason to believe the discussion occa
stoned by it was not wholly in the rigb
direction.
The purpose in view was not to con
denim street parading alone. That wal
cited only as one of many ways il
which thoughtless youth is exposed tc
temptations. The design of the article
in question, though evidently it die
not generally hit the mark, was
to suggest the responsibility of parents
in this connection. We read in Holy
Writ that children are IAN heritage Of
the Lord" and that he is blessed THAT
hath his culver full of them" Whether
considered religiously, or in the interest
of permanent government, there is no
greater responsibility placed upon pa
rents than the guarding of the children
which the Almighty has blessed them
with. There are more duties for Lat
ter-day Saint to perform than to pay
tithing and TO go to meeting with scru-
pulous punctuality and regularity.
These are good in themselves, but they
are not his only duty. Nor is the only
duty of a man not a member of the
Mormon church, to pay his debts and
howl against Mormon oneness,
"priestcraft," and tyranny" Upon a
common ground both may meet in pro-
tecting the young from the pernicious
vices which are rapidly growing up
among them in response to the infam-
Gus wish of the downtown organ of
putridity. We may pirate about re
ligion, about character, about that IN
defnable word called Liberty" and
that equally uncertain phrase, 1.-The
rights of American citizens" we
may preach democratic doctrine,
or republican blood and thunder,
Jefersonian simplicity, and monarchial
assurance; We may talk science, educa-
ton and religion, and recommend all as
the panacea for existing evils and as
the basis of solid foundation of per
manent government; but neither good
nor permanent government is possible
under any circumstances, unless the
faulty and uncertain steps of youth be
guarded alwaysand closely watched by
the father and mother, into whose care
they have been committed by the Al
mighty as a sacred trust.
Yes, we know. There are way
ward children, over whom the greatest
care and patience seem unavailing.
But the number of young men and
women lost because of innate depravity,
are as drop in the bucket compared
with the untold thousands whose early
lives have been blighted and whose
Iater years hopelessly darkened by de-
grading and vicious actions, because
the father and the mother have failed in
their duty. 1t is hard to say to the
sorrowing father that through his
negligence his child has come
to shame, to tell the heart broken
mother that she has had a share ID
bringing to an untimely grave the
child that was dearer than her hearts
blood. And yet it is frequently true.
The smaller trials of our lives are what
we harvest from the sowing of seed in
negligence and in evil. The Eternal
Father never designed His children to
be unhappy, but He will not interfere
with the fat which has decreed that
whatsoever man sows that shall he
also reap" Look to your children.
The manhood, the motherhood, the
crown of glory of a great and long-liY-
ing nation are in these; herein is the
promise of the future. No plant is so
as youth. Guard it well.
Ye ministers of Gods word, there is
to-day to lay aside the
bitterness of heart which too often
supplants the doctrine of love, and join
in q determined work to rescue the
youth of the land from the insidious
foe which,is stealing away their purity.
Arouse the father and the mother
fully to the grand trust which
the names they bear-Father
and Mother-impose. Do this lest ye
see the dream of the Tribune realized,
when the saloon, the billiard hall and
the brothel shall become the mediums
of civilization, and the hopes of glori- /!
Gus posterity thus forever be destroyed. |
Let the vile of heart scott, let the lewd |
rant, but the Latter-day Saint who does
not know where his children are at
night needs reoonverting, and has lost
the one great sense of duty which his
religion imposes-to cause his house
hold to serve the Lord by keeping vir-
tuous and seeing that they are saved |
from unholy temptations. AS for those
not Latter-day Saints, they are perhaps
too wise to be taught in these regards. |
Let Us hope so.